THE double departure of Rikki Clarke and Nayan Doshi last week caught all of us on the hop.

There had been sure signs of discontent, especially in Clarke's case, but the speed at which the two were suddenly no longer Derbyshire players was a shock. Even John Morris admitted he did not expect it to be concluded so swiftly.

The consequences of losing the players will take longer to sort out as head of cricket Morris, at a time of the year when thoughts inevitably turn to strengthening the squad, also has to deal with replacing two of the men he brought in last winter.

This was not in the master plan. Doshi was never reckoned to be the star man, though it was reasonably hoped he would produce more in the Championship than eight wickets at an average of 80, but Clarke was intended to be a player to build a side around.

The emergence of all-rounder Jon Clare means Morris does not have to think in terms of like-for-like and losing Clarke does release a large wage back into the budget to attract a high-quality performer.

But having the money available may not be the problem for Morris. Finding the right man to spend it on might be a different matter.

"I had money in the budget anyway but I don't see my job as just having to spend money," he said. "I have to spend it wisely on the best players I can attract to this club.

"You look at the players we have approached, like Alex Gidman and David Sales, and they have all signed for their counties again, so who is available?

"If there is another top player of Rikki's calibre available, we will look to see if he is better than what we've got but, as it stands, there aren't too many around.

"Somebody always comes out of the woodwork, I believe, because they are not happy or whatever, so we will just have to see what develops."

Gidman and Sales – plus Worcestershire's Stephen Moore – were three of the eight players Morris identified as targets earlier in the season by putting in the mandatory 28 days' notice of his intention to make an approach.

It did not reap dividends.

"They all signed for their counties again," explained Morris. "I won't be doing that again. It was the biggest waste of time because all it does is alert the counties that other people want to talk to them and gives the players a bargaining base to bump their own contracts up with their clubs.

"I will do my business through the agents or whoever we need to speak to at the right times. We have spoken to a club recently about a player the official way and if that happens, we will be delighted but, at this point, it is a long way away."

This is the traditional time of year when counties issue their lists of players who have not been retained and there is often a good player or two available as a consequence.

Some have already been released and among them is young Yorkshire leg spinner Mark Lawson. Morris has taken notice.

"I've spoken to one or two people about him," he said. "David Byas thinks he might be worth having a look at and we'll take other people's opinions of him because we haven't seen a great deal of him.

"We've got a young off-spinner in Jake Needham who has done pretty well for us this year and will be another year older but if there is somebody out there who can do a job and do it better, we will look at bringing them in.

"Unfortunately, there aren't a great many spin options around in English county cricket at the moment.

"Spin is very important, especially when you go away to places like Chelmsford. In one-day cricket, we will miss Nayan Doshi because he has bowled well for us and that's why I didn't want him to go.

"I think it would have done him good to be here another year but that's his choice."

As well as another spin option, Morris has clear ideas about the other types of player he wants.

"I think we need a top line bowler, if we can find one, and another batter, definitely, even though I do think our batting is quite strong.

"Dan Birch has come in and done better than we probably thought he would, if I'm honest. I think John Sadler will come again, Dom Telo will develop and Greg Smith has come on this year.

"Dan Redfern and Paul Borrington are two young lads who have shown they are more than capable of moving up to first-class level but while we hope the likes of Redfern, Telo and Borrington will come through and be the guaranteed 1,200 runs a season we need, we haven't got that nailed on yet and that's why I would like another top-class batter."

This will be a testing few months for Morris, whose contacts within the game were cited as one of the strengths he brought to the job.

That network of contacts led him to Clarke and Mahela Jayawardene, though those signings did not work out, as well as to Charl Langeveldt and Wavell Hinds.

Where will the jungle telegraph of agents and third party informants lead him to next? It will be another important winter for Derbyshire.